variafandomcom-20200214-history
The New Pantheon
For seven hundred year, there had been no watchers in the heavens; no weavers of fate; no speakers of the divine. Only Human's, warring for dominion over Varia. Then, at the fall of the Empires of old, a new ideology arose, smuggled within the hearts and minds of the reemerging elves, dwarves, and other creatures of magic: The New Pantheon... : - Aelin Wetrose, scholar of The New Pantheon, 952PR : Deities One aspect of the New Pantheon greatly stressed by those scholars and theologians knowledgeable in such affairs is that of the nature of the deities within it. First and foremost, however, it is important to note that only four deities hold dominion over the divine: Although each deity bears many common titles and pseudonyms, even the most poorly educated Varian should be able to discern the deity in question from any number of it's given pseudonyms. Built upon this distinction between the multitude of pseudonyms and the reality of four distinct divine beings is the true nature of the deities as theological scholars perceive it: The deities of the New Pantheon are neither wholly Good nor Evil. Nor are they either Chaotic or Lawful. Instead, each deity is thought to hold dominion over one specific aspect of reality upon Varia, and the manipulations of that reality - whether for good or for evil; or for chaos or for law. Therefore, it is possible for the purest of mortals and foulest of mortals to worship the same deity equally, each in their own way, and each be rewarded equally upon death. Arvesh - Physicality Sovereign of Battle; The Highest Marshall; The Long Runner; Breaker of Skulls Dephnu - Spirit & Thought Deep Thought; Stealer of Souls; The Final Judge; Crown of the Forgotten; Poisoner of Minds; The Shadow-Weaver Morn - Nature The Great Oak; Water's Bubble; Harvesters Scale; Withering Hand Heln - Civilisation The Builder; The Sheltering Fire; The Corrupter Origins Varia The New Pantheon arrives in Varia shortly after the fall of The Rommulite Empire, around 700PR. During the decades that followed the fall of that empire, much of those lands which had long been deserted but watched by the Empire's arcane masters came to experience a time of secrecy. No longer were great battles of magic scorching the central lands. Instead, great trees grew unhindered, eclipsing the magically charged ground. Greatest amongst those places rejuvenated was the area of land now known as The Great Forest. During the height of The Rommulite Empire, that land had been a physical border, with little more vegetation than a barren desert, so scorched and scarred with magic was it. Perhaps, some scholars have argued, it was that very magic charged within the soil itself which caused the great trees to sprout so rapidly and so high from the once-desert-land. Shortly after the trees had eclipsed the land and split great continent through the middle, the creatures of magic once more re-emerged. Elves, dwarves, and others. Few in numbers at first, but soon followed by others, these creatures brought with them new trade, skills, and ideologies: Chief among which were The New Pantheon, which they claimed to have followed from their distant lands. Before Varia? Many human scholar and theologians have attempted to decipher from the cryptic and elusive creatures of magic where The New Pantheon had originally formed - or, for that matter, where resided the distant lands from which the creatures of magic claimed to have come. Neither question has been answered to any degree of satisfaction. From what theologians have pieced together from their own communications with the deities of The New Pantheon, the deities themselves - which are far less inclined to occupy communicable corporeal forms than their predecessors - they have always been, and will always be so long as balance is maintained. Prior to their relocation to Varia, they had once occupied a much larger pantheon which was in decay and disarray. Rather than remain and tear their world asunder, as they feared they would, they elected to leave for new shores. This decision has often been likened to a pilgrimage, from which many theologians fear the new pantheon shall eventually return, leaving Varia once more. Structure Daily Life The ideology of the New Pantheon quickly took a hold and dominated the spiritual minds of most folk across Varia, The Sellederre Empire and some Freefolk realms being the exception. As a result of this unified ideology, the architects of the New Pantheon have experienced huge influxes of influence and financial power. Great temples - or "Bastions" - have been built all across Varia, dedicated to various aspects of specific deities, to whole deities, and even to the New Pantheon in its entirety. Common folk frequently pray to the deities, whether through force of habit or great need. Those who live rural lives frequently rely upon the blessings of Morn specifically, for example, for good harvests and lives without disease. Furthermore, as all four deities possess multiple aspects, almost every situation can be attributed to one or more of the deities, provided ample cause for prayer. Individuals may worship one, or all of the deities - though the latter is less common than the former owing to the relatively isolated lives that most people live. City folk, for example, rarely have cause to pray to Morn, but frequently have cause to pray to Heln. The reverse is true of rural folk. Military Orders A great many military forces pay allegiance to specific deities, or aspects of deities. Knights are as often representatives of divine knighthoods as they are heraldic. Furthermore, as The New Pantheon resides within most realms across Varia, such knighthoods often bear significant international influence. Within the Redland Empire specifically, military orders dedicated to The New Pantheon are somewhat officially discouraged at an imperial level, owing to the ways in which they might be used to undermine the Council of Magi. As such, any military order is not directly under imperial control is closely monitored, and frequent targets of espionage. Hierarchy The New Pantheon is simple in structure: Any individual who does not worship The New Pantheon is considered irrelevant - neither enemies, nor allies from a theological stance. Therefore, although practitioners of The New Pantheon may not actively seek to convert those who do not follow The New Pantheon, they are also not expected to feel any spiritual obligation to provide aide to such non-worshippers. Internally, the structure of The New Pantheon is relatively rigid. Uniformly, any worshipper of the pantheon is considered to be a part of the ideology as a whole, to be provided and cared for as best as possible. The majority of such worshippers are considered to be uninitiated followers, or initiated servants - the main distinction of which is the formal process of initiation into a bastion (specific temple) and the acceptance of certain responsibilities within that bastion. Above the initiated servants are the acolytes, who supervise and cater spiritually to the community of worshippers to which they are assigned. Such individuals may act as spiritual guides to individual city districts, or, in some cases, to entire villages and rural regions. Above the acolytes are the prime acolytes. These individuals are considered to have dedicated the entirety of their lives to the pantheon, and act as guides to the acolytes below them. Prime acolytes often lead smaller bastions, and may even act within a council of other prime acolytes in times of need as the spiritual guides to entire cities. Finally, highest of all are the matriarchs and patriarchs. These chosen individuals act as the heads of their bastions. Large cities may have multiple such spiritual leaders, each guiding in their own ways. Smaller cities may be forced to share such individuals with another neighbouring city. Although there are certainly more and less powerful matriarchs and patriarchs, there is no one single leader of The New Pantheon, nor of any one deity. Instead, the matriarchs and patriarchs are each considered to be akin to prophets, each bearing their own message from the deities.